The Houses of the Zodiac

We have discussed the annual path of the Sun across the sky in defining the Zodiac, and we have described the Ascendant and Midheaven in terms of the daily path of the Sun in relation to the Zodiac. But there is a further use astrologers put these two apparent solar trajectories. The daily path of the Sun - from sunrise to sunset - is also divided into twelve parts, just like the Zodiac. Again, because this path is circular it contains 360 degrees, and each part must therefore contain 30 degrees. These thirty-degree segments are called "Houses" by astrologers. They are numbered from 1 to 12.

So where on the Zodiac are the houses? Well, the first house begins at the Ascendant, then follows the second house, the third house, and so on until we get to the twelfth house, which must end at the "other side" of the Ascendant.

So as each planet has a position in a sign of the Zodiac, it also has a position in a given house. Thus the Sun might be in Taurus and the fourth house, or the fifth house, or whatever depending on where the ascendant is at the time of birth. The house that a planet is in at the time of someone's birth is also considered significant by astrologers.

There are over forty House Systems in use at present in Western Astrology, but the most popular (and also the oldest) is the Equal House System. In this system, the houses are simply divided equally into thirty degrees each, and the latitude of birth doesn't matter (except to find the Ascendant). This is the system that we will use.

The Aspects